The time has come for Samsung to bring out a new smartwatch series. The company unveiled the Galaxy Watch 6 series at Unpacked, surprising wearable fans with a refined design, the return of the physical rotating bezel, and, perhaps more importantly, a bunch of new software improvements joined by a handful of hardware upgrades.
With pre-orders now open until August 11, the new smartwatch series is almost here to take the Wear OS market by storm. Here are the best Galaxy Watch 6 features.
The return of the physical rotating bezel
Although Samsung shelved the physical rotating bezel last year, the company dusted off this iconic component and refreshed it for its comeback in 2023.
The Galaxy Watch 6 Classic brings back the physical rotating bezel, powered by a 3D Hall sensor, and it's a sight for sore eyes among Classic smartwatch fans. The bezel is thinner and surrounds a larger and brighter circular display with a higher resolution than before.
Bigger and brighter screen
The refined design of the Galaxy Watch 6 series has allowed Samsung to use slightly larger screens than before. The 40/43mm and 44/47mm smartwatches have 1.3-inch and 1.5-inch screens, respectively.
Beyond a slicker design and bigger screens, the AMOLED panels are also substantially brighter than last year. The Galaxy Watch 5 topped out at 1,000 nits, but the new AMOLED used by the Galaxy Watch 6 can reach 2,000 nits of brightness.
This upgrade will make the Galaxy Watch 6 easier to read outdoors and in direct sunlight. Samsung's best phones, such as the Galaxy S23 Ultra and the new Galaxy Z Fold 5, top out at 1,750 nits, but the Galaxy Watch 6 displays shine even brighter.
More memory and a faster chipset
Samsung uses its latest Exynos W930 dual-core (1.4GHz) chipset to power the Galaxy Watch 6 series. Unveiled in June, the Exynos W930 is a successor to the W920 and is said to offer more power and lower energy consumption.
For a smoother experience, Samsung also gave the Galaxy Watch 6 more memory. The latest models have 2GB of RAM instead of 1.5GB.
Bigger batteries
To prevent the larger screens from eating away at battery life, Samsung equipped the Galaxy Watch 6 series with bigger batteries.
The 40mm and 43mm Galaxy Watches are powered by 300mAh batteries, whereas the larger 44mm and 47mm variants sport 425mAh units.
This combination of larger screens, a newer chipset + more RAM, and bigger batteries appears to have evened things out. Like the Watch 5, Samsung says the new Galaxy Watch 6 series can last up to 40 hours on a single charge with the Always-On Display off and up to 30 hours with AOD enabled.
One UI Watch 5, better fitness, health, and sleep tracking
Samsung has improved the smartwatch experience through both hardware and software. The Wear OS 4-based One UI Watch 5 update for the Galaxy Watch 6 brings new watch faces, and more importantly, it enhances fitness, health, and sleep tracking features.
Sleep Coaching is now available directly on the watch, and sleep tracking offers more detailed information about the user's sleep habits. Samsung Health brings better fall detection and Irregular Heart Rhythm Notifications, while fitness tracking adds Track Run records and introduces personalized heart rate zones.
Instead of showing generic HR zones, the Galaxy Watch 6 monitors the wearer's heart rate and offers HR zones personalized to their fitness level.
Skin Temperature API, more apps, Find My Phone
The existing skin temperature sensor is now more versatile thanks to a new API, which allows partners to create new use cases. To showcase the Skin Temperature API's capabilities, Samsung released the Thermo Check app, with which users can measure the temperature of objects contact-free.
The Galaxy Watch 6 series' debut also marks the release of new and updated apps. WhatsApp, Google Calendar, and Gmail are now available, and the Peloton and MyFitnessPal apps received new updates for more detailed fitness progress and nutritional data tracking. And soon, Samsung says Audible will be available for the latest smartwatches.
In addition, Samsung updated the Camera Controller app to include options for mode switching and zoom levels. It's also bringing the Wallet app to its wearables. And now, the Find My Phone app with map support allows Galaxy Watch 6 users to find misplaced smartphones right from their wrists.
